A new way to measure the world's protected area coverage

Barr, Lissa M., Pressey, Robert L., Fuller, Richard A., Segan, Daniel B., McDonald-Madden, Eve and Possingham, Hugh P. (2011) A new way to measure the world's protected area coverage. PLoS One, 6 9: e24707-1-e24707-3.


Author Barr, Lissa M.
Pressey, Robert L.
Fuller, Richard A.
Segan, Daniel B.
McDonald-Madden, Eve
Possingham, Hugh P.
Title A new way to measure the world's protected area coverage
Journal name PLoS One  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank A)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2011-09
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0024707
Volume number 6
Issue number 9
ISSN 1932-6203
Start page e24707-1
End page e24707-3
Total pages 4
Place of publication San Francisco, CA, United States
Publisher Public Library of Science
Collection year 2012
Language eng
Formatted abstract Protected areas are effective at stopping biodiversity loss, but their placement is constrained by the needs of people. Consequently protected areas are often biased toward areas that are unattractive for other human uses. Current reporting metrics that emphasise the total area protected do not account for this bias. To address this problem we propose that the distribution of protected areas be evaluated with an economic metric used to quantify inequality in income- the Gini coefficient. Using a modified version of this measure we discover that 73% of countries have inequitably protected their biodiversity and that common measures of protected area coverage do not adequately reveal this bias. Used in combination with total percentage protection, the Gini coefficient will improve the effectiveness of reporting on the growth of protected area coverage, paving the way for better representation of the world's biodiversity.
Keyword Conservation
Ecoregions
Inequality
Diversity
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Confirmed Code
Institutional Status UQ

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Article
Collections: Official 2012 Collection
School of Biological Sciences Publications
 
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